Join our community of traders FOR FREE!

  • Learn
  • Improve yourself
  • Get Rewards
Learn More

Best Cryptocurrency Trading Brokers

Written by Miro Nikolov
Miro Nikolov is the co-founder of TradingPedia.com and BestBrokers.com. His mission is to help people make profitable investments by giving them access to educational resources and analytics tools.
, | Updated: November 5, 2025

Crypto trading has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. However, if you are new to the crypto market, finding a reputable crypto broker can be challenging. With this in mind, our team of experts tested several regulated brokerages that offer crypto CFD products to their clients.

Each brand received a quality score based on several factors, including its Trustpilot rating, regulation, fees and commissions, available trading platforms, customer service, and more. Only the best crypto brokers made it to our final toplist, which is featured in this publication. If you are interested in these brands and in crypto trading in general, we encourage you to continue reading.

  1. Plus500 US
    Rating: 4
    This content applies only to Plus500 US and clients from the United States. Trading futures involves the risk of loss.
  2. eToro
    Rating: 4.2
    61% of retail investor accounts lose money
  3. Fusion Markets
    Rating: 4.8
    74-89% of retail's CFD accounts lose money
  4. FP Markets
    Rating: 4.9
    73.85% of retail investor accounts lose money
  5. Global Prime
    Rating: 4.7
    74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money
  6. Pepperstone
    Rating: 4.4
    75.5% of retail investor accounts lose money

With the official release of Bitcoin back in 2009, the world of financial opportunities for traders and investors of all levels expanded immensely. The first Bitcoin transactions occurred on the New Liberty Exchange in late 2009 when traders paid under one cent ($0.00099) per coin. Over the next few years, Bitcoin’s price saw a dramatic rise, and thousands of other digital coins appeared on the cryptocurrency trading scene. Bitcoin has risen dramatically in value, with its price reaching an all-time high of $122,838 in mid-July 2025.

Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies, uniquely characterised by their decentralised nature. The transactions between two parties are carried out without the involvement of banking institutions and are recorded on a digital public ledger known as a blockchain.

Nowadays, many investors and traders seek avenues for cryptocurrency trading, and the present publication focuses on the specifics of online brokerages featuring crypto CFDs. We also provide a listing of the 10 leading crypto trading brokers.

How cryptocurrency trading works for traders and brokers

BTC TradingThe cryptocurrency market can be quite intimidating for novice traders due to the wide array of trading terms, as well as the variety of processes involved. To help traders navigate the market with ease, we have broken down the process into seven distinct steps. Next, we looked into trading from the brokers’ perspective and focused on how brokerage firms function and generate their profits.

How cryptocurrency trading works for traders

Here are the steps that traders need to take to start trading and investing in cryptocurrencies:

Trading cryptos using CFDs vs. buying crypto via an exchange

Overall, there are two approaches to trading cryptocurrencies – speculating on their short-term price fluctuations using Contracts for Difference (CFDs) – or buying the physical digital assets on the spot, in the expectation that their price will rise.

With the first approach, traders are merely speculating on price swings and do not own the underlying assets. The alternative grants ownership of the underlying digital asset, allowing them to store it in a digital crypto wallet and eventually profit from selling it at a higher price in the future. You will need to choose one of these options before you move on to the next step.

How the crypto market works

Familiarise yourself with cryptocurrencies and the market at large. The crypto market works differently from other financial markets due to its decentralised nature. Cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile, meaning that their prices can move dramatically up and down. Substantial fluctuations in the value of crypto assets can result from news, blockchain forks, and government intervention, among other factors. This can make crypto trading relatively risky, which further emphasises the need to learn more about its ins and outs.

Opening a trading account

Opening a trading account, if you plan to trade crypto CFDs, is probably the easiest step along the way. Traders can accomplish it in a matter of minutes, and all they need to provide is their personal and contact information. On occasion, they may also be asked to complete a short quiz so that the broker can assess their trading knowledge and experience.

Verifying and funding the account

What follows is the verification of the newly created account. This process usually takes up to 24 hours and is part of the mandatory requirements with which regulated providers of online trading services must comply.

Once verification has been completed, traders will also need to fund their account using a convenient banking method. Most brokers accept payment with debit and credit cards, bank transfers, online banking, and digital wallets like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller.

Following a trading plan

In the highly volatile crypto market, traders should build and follow a sound strategy. Although markets that see lots of fluctuations and potential trading opportunities can be very attractive to traders, they are equally challenging. Thus, it is best to have a solid plan and make use of the various risk-management features available at online brokerages. This includes negative balance protection and tools like stop-loss orders, which can help minimise losses to a great extent.

Choosing a trading platform

To help you choose a crypto trading platform, we have compiled a list of leading global brokers. The majority of online brokers have incorporated the advanced and widely popular MetaTrader software, equipped with everything necessary for seamless trading sessions.

Opening and closing a trading position

In the final step in the crypto trading process, traders open, monitor, and close their positions. When trading cryptocurrency CFDs, there is no need to set up a crypto wallet because you do not own the digital assets. No matter which cryptocurrency you have chosen to trade (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, or XRP, for example), you need to decide the size of your position and select between opening a long or short position.

How cryptocurrency trading works for brokers

Online brokers offer cryptocurrency CFD trading, which, as already mentioned, does not entail owning the relevant asset or storing it in a crypto wallet. In order to learn how online cryptocurrency brokers function and profit from the services they deliver, you can look into the following trading terms:

Non-trading fees

From deposit and withdrawal fees to account maintenance and inactivity charges, there may be some additional non-trading expenses charged by operators. These should be carefully checked in advance.

Commissions

Some online brokers charge commissions when providing traders with lower raw spreads. These commissions are usually fixed and are due when you open and close your positions. A $3 commission per side, for example, will result in additional trading expenses of $6 for the customer.

Spreads

The spread is the difference between the buy and sell price of an asset, or the bid and ask price. The tighter the spread, the lower the cost. Much like most other financial instruments, spreads for frequently traded crypto pairs are lower compared with those for digital assets with a lower trading volume.

Spreads are related to liquidity, along with the supply and demand for a particular asset. Highly liquid and commonly traded crypto assets tend to have the tightest spreads, provided there is not a substantial supply and demand imbalance.

Financing rates

Overnight fees, also known as financing rates or swaps, are charged when a trader holds a leveraged position for more than a single day. Since leverage entails borrowing funds from the broker to trade, customers may have to pay or receive interest.

Leverage

In the context of financial markets and crypto trading, leverage refers to using borrowed funds to gain greater market exposure. In other words, traders deposit just a portion of their trades, and the rest is borrowed from the broker with which they have registered an account. Leverage enables traders to multiply their potential profits but also magnifies risks, especially in the highly volatile crypto markets.

Trading regulators

Financial regulatory authorities are appointed by governments or other bodies to monitor the operation and transparency of financial markets and companies involved in financial activities. The main objective of these institutions is to ensure fair and safe trading conditions for customers, as well as prevent and investigate fraud. They also issue operating licences to brokers and monitor compliance with local regulatory requirements.

Reputable regulators include the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Note that the laws and restrictions imposed on crypto CFD trading will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. CySEC licensees, for instance, can include crypto CFDs among their retail trading products provided the available leverage is capped at 1:2. The FCA, meanwhile, has prohibited the trading of CFDs on crypto among retail clients, rendering the activity exclusive to professionals.

Top cryptocurrency trading brokers

choosing a brokerOur next section is dedicated to a listing of 10 award-winning online brokers providing cryptocurrency trading. Of all trading assets they have included in their product offerings, we have concentrated on cryptocurrency trading, the related commissions, spreads, and leverage, as well as additional trading tools and features offered by the broker.

Related topics

FAQ

1. When should cryptocurrencies be traded?

Unlike other financial markets, the cryptocurrency market is open 24/7 because of its decentralized nature. Price fluctuations can occur at any time, creating more trading opportunities; however, these opportunities should be properly managed by using appropriate risk-management tools.

2. What factors cause cryptocurrency price fluctuations?

Much like other markets, the cryptocurrency space is governed primarily by supply and demand. Numerous factors can influence this balance, including trending news, market sentiment, technological advances, and political or governmental interventions, among others.

3. What are the most popular types of cryptocurrencies?

Besides Bitcoin, many other digital assets are rapidly gaining traction and offer great potential. Traders are increasingly interested in altcoins such as Ethereum, Ripple, Solana, ADA, and Litecoin, to name just a few. Stablecoins like Tether are growing in popularity as well, as are meme coins such as Dogecoin.

4. What is leveraged cryptocurrency trading?

Leverage allows cryptocurrency traders to magnify their profits, but it also significantly increases the potential for losses. Because cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, using excessive leverage can lead to substantial losses.

5. What is crypto day trading?

Day trading cryptocurrencies entails speculating on the price fluctuations of a particular crypto asset within a single day. In other words, traders open and close their positions during the same session without holding them overnight.